The present invention relates to chair back constructions, and more particularly relates to a back construction providing a one-piece back and seat appearance suitable for executive and manager chairs, the back construction including features providing adjustability and facilitating assembly.
Many chairs include adjustable backs and seats that can be adjusted to fit users having different body shapes and to optimize comfort while performing particular tasks. Modern consumers also demand an attractive appearance, particularly in highly stylized, "high end" chairs for managers and executives, where status and style are important considerations. Specifically, in manager and executive chairs, a one-piece seat and back appearance is often desired to provide an impressive stylistic appearance with continuous uninterrupted lines extending from the seat through the back, and where the visual effect between the back and seat is minimized. Such styles may also benefit from an expensive looking massive appearance. However, a one-piece seat and back appearance limits the seat depth adjustment since there is no space at a rear of the seat below the back to receive the rear of the seat. Concurrently, the seat cannot be positioned too far forward, or the resulting cavern at the rear of the seat detracts from the appearance of the chair. Also, the seat may not adequately support a seated user if the seat is positioned too far forward, particularly where the seated user has a small buttock and reclines in the chair. Lack of space at a rear of the seat also limits angular adjustment/forward tilting of the seat, since the rear of the seat will engage the bottom of the back preventing significant tilting adjustment. It is noted that chairs having a gap between the back and the seat do have a space for the seat to enter when depth-adjusted rearwardly, however the "one-piece back and seat appearance" is lost because of the see-through area thereby created.
Another problem with highly stylized chairs is the need for adequate adjustability of lumbar support. Managers and executives often sit in their chairs for hours at a time, and adequate lumbar support is essential to comfortably perform their jobs. Further, the lumbar support must be adjustable to allow changes in support as the seated user's back fatigues and different amounts and distributions of back support are needed. However, in stylized chairs, the side edges of the backs are often not vertical nor linear. This results in a problem because the adjustment handle of the lumbar support cannot simply move vertically, since it would stick out an unacceptable amount in one position or another. Often mechanisms are used to provide vertical adjustability of an adjustable lumbar support; however, such mechanisms are expensive to assemble, include "too many" parts and pieces, and are subject to warranty problems. Further, the mechanism may have a non-uniform feel, which is unacceptable in "high end," highly stylized chairs.
Accordingly, a back construction is desired solving the aforementioned problems, but that provides the adjustability, low cost, and ease of assembly needed in the competitive chair industry.